Long ago, in April of 2012, a group of improv friends held their first official improv show as a brand new improv troupe…. Since then, the group has grown, changed their name, grown some more, traveled, seen familiar faces leave, and watched new faces become familiar.
On Wednesday, April 18, 2018 at 7:30pm, join us at Feed N Seed to help us celebrate 6 years of Silverbacks Improv Theatre! We’ll be playing our favorite games and building alternate worlds!
Tickets are $10 at the door.
All we want for our 6th birthday is for YOU to be there (and to bring a friend or two to the show) to inspire us in whatever crazy hi-jinks we get up to.
Amanda Shackelford, LPSS Middle School Teacher of the Year
Lafayette Famous features a mix of improvisation and storytelling. In this format, a local celebrity prepares 3 true stories from their life. The improvisers create scenes based on themes from the stories, bringing performers and audience alike on a humorous journey. On Wednesday, March 21, Silverbacks will feature LPSS Middle School Teacher of the Year, Amanda Shackelford!
Improv Camp 2017 was a ROARING success! Afterward, the Campers became The I.R.S.
Silverbacks Improv Theatre is thrilled to announce that they will, once again, be offering Summer Improv Camps for Kids and Teens this year! While working as an ensemble, participants will learn basic improvisational theatre fundamentals, including making their own sets and props out of thin air, developing detailed characters from scratch in an instant, and channeling their spontaneity to create intricate stories without the use of scripts. Participants will showcase the lessons they’ve learned in a final showcase for friends and family on the last day of camp!
HERE ARE THE DATES:
KIDS CAMP will take place from June 4-8
(for children entering 3rd through 6th grade)
TEENS CAMP will take place from June 11-15
(for teens entering 7th through 12th grade)
We’ll have more information and updates about Kids Camps next month!
On Saturday, March 10, Silverbacks Improv Theatre and special guests, The Plural Noun, will present a high-energy blend of their audience’s favorite short-form games. (Short-form improv is the style that was made popular by the television show “Who’s Line is it Anyway?”)
The show begins as ArtWalk is wrapping up. A drink from Cliff’s Bar and an improv show are the perfect way to cap off a great night out in downtown Lafayette.
Saturday, March 10, 2018,
8pm at Cité des Arts
Tickets are $10
Thursdays | February 22 – March 22 | 6:30-8:30 p.m. (once a week for 5 weeks)
Class length: 2 hours (10 hours total)
Where: The Music Garden, 1424 Saint John St., Lafayette, LA
Tuition: $100
Class size: 6 students minimum; 10 students maximum
Prerequisite: LEVEL ONE or previous stage or public speaking experience. Must be comfortable acting in a group and working with others in scene work.
Though the emphasis of the class is still on fun, LEVEL TWO includes some conceptual and technical information to help build your improvisational skills. LEVEL TWO introduces students to principles of teamwork, character building and other concepts that will help to build comfort in spontaneity.
Based on games learned in Level One, LEVEL TWO students get to enhance their performance skills through exploration of their own style of play. Students will present a showcase of their skills during the final class, where family, friends and the public are invited.
Pre-register by sending us a private message, emailing silverbacksimprov@gmail.com, or by calling 337-205-2129
Monique’s Bio and more Information about Silverbacks and Classes can be found in our About Us section.
Lafayette’s constantly expanding improv community is uniting for one night in February for the ultimate spectacle in competitive improvised theater: IMPROV RUMBLE! 2018!
Improv Rumble! will pit mixed teams of improvisers against one another in an all-out brawl! Everything’s made up, but this time, YOUR VOTES DO MATTER. Who will go home victorious? Who will leave bananaless? These answers depend on YOU.
So, do yourselves a favor: join us on Friday, February 2, at Cite des Arts (on the main stage!). Tickets are $10, and the show kicks off at 7:30pm! We will pit friends against friends, cast-mate against cast-mate, and even SIBLING against SIBLING!… all for your entertainment, applause, votes, and Hamiltons!
*The Plural Noun is a brand new, Lafayette based Improv Troupe, made up of performers who met in and completed Levels 1-3 of Silverbacks’ Improv Classes in 2017!
Everyday Improv – A Silverbacks Improv Class
(Teacher Sarah Mikayla Brown)
Dates: Tuesdays, January 9-30
Time: 6:30pm-7:30pm
Ages: 16+
Where: The Music Garden, 1424 Saint John St, Lafayette, LA
Cost: $60
Improv is a great way to exercise the brain and to learn effective brainstorming and communication skills. Because of this, Silverbacks Improv Theatre has a brand new course offering: EVERYDAY IMPROV!
Silverbacks’ Everyday Improv is an introductory level Improv class that focuses on using Improv skills to prepare you to react on your feet and think outside the box in real life situations, like (but not limited to) job interviews, event hosting, or general day-to-day interactions with those around you. Teacher Sarah Mikayla Brown will teach improv fundamentals in a laid-back environment. As a teacher, Brown is passionate about ensemble-building – which is a fancy way of saying that students can expect a “team” vibe to the class.
Class meets just one hour a week from 6:30pm-7:30pm on Tuesdays in January, beginning on the 9th and running until the 30th.
Register by sending a Private Message to the Silverbacks Improv Theatre Facebook page or by calling 337-205-2129
We are also offering a Level 1 Improv course which focuses on building the same skill set, but is geared towards improvised performance. Improv: Level One, by Silverbacks Improv Theatre will take place on Thursdays, January 11 – February 8 from 6:30pm – 8:30pm at The Music Garden.
Sarah’s bio and information about additional classes can be found on silverbacksimprov.com
On Wednesday, December 20th, Silverbacks Improv Theatre will present their traditional “Holiday Show.” Each December, Silverbacks interpret their signature improvisations through the lens of a Holiday – a brand new, completely made up Holiday, that is! With the audience’s help, Silverbacks will create their very own annual celebration – think “Festivus for the Rest of Us” from Seinfeld.
For this show, each of the performers will be wearing a Holiday Sweater and invite the audience to do the same. ANY Holiday themed items are welcome – the audience is invited to wear their finest Christmas, Easter, Mardi Gras, or even Groundhog day sweaters to add to the fun. Previous invented holidays were “Paper-Clip Appreciation Day” (2012), “Garden Gnome Day” (2013), Leonardo DaVinci’s Mother’s Birthday (2014), Picasso-Palooza (2015), and “St. Lampshades Day” (2016). Now we need our audience to help us create a brand New Holiday and its many wonderful traditions.
Tickets can be purchased at the door, beginning at 7:00pm on December 20th, for $10 general admission.
Elaine Kibodeaux will return as the Level 1 instructor for January 2018. / Photo by PJ Best.
Local Improv Comedy Troupe, Silverbacks Improv Theatre, will begin another round of improv classes starting in January 2018. Silverbacks began offering improv classes in the summer of 2015, and have had great success and fun with their students.
Silverbacks will begin by offering one section of Improv 1, geared toward performance. Improv 2 and 3 will follow in the spring, along with special children’s classes and Improv Intensives.
IMPROV LEVEL ONE is an entry-level course to the joys and thrills of improvisation, or improv. Students will learn and practice the application of “group mind” and the all-important “yes, and” – and other improv concepts and vocabulary. Students will practice new skills, perform and play in a safe, low-stakes and friendly atmosphere.
LEVEL ONE is perfect for the super fan of comedy or improv who has yet to perform, the curious introvert wanting to try something new, or those looking to improve their public speaking or quick decision making skills.
At the conclusion, you can move on to Level Two or continue to take LEVEL ONE again – as many times as you’d like. You’re sure to get something new out of it each time!
Still on the fence? Hear from a former student!
“Silverbacks Improv Theatre classes were a great experience. I felt like I was in a slump, and these classes lifted me up. I made friends, gained confidence, and had the opportunity to play. The teachers miraculously offer a relaxed yet rigorous environment where challenge is welcome, but never judgment.” -Leslie Tidwell
LEVEL ONE students will present a showcase of their skills during the final class (February 8th), where family, friends and the public are invited.
IMPROV ONE Class Details:
Improv 1 – A Silverbacks Improv Class with Elaine Kibodeaux
Dates: Thursdays, January 11 – February 8
Time: 6:30pm – 8:30pm
Ages: 16+
Cost: $100
Where: The Music Garden, 1424 Saint John St, Lafayette, LA
Register by sending a Private Message to the Silverbacks Improv TheatreFacebook page or by calling 337-205-2129
Teacher’s bio and more info about additional classes can be found on silverbacksimprov.com
Everyday Improv – A Silverbacks Improv Class
On Wednesday, December 20th, Silverbacks Improv Theatre will present their traditional “Holiday Show.” Each December, Silverbacks interpret their signature improvisations through the lens of a Holiday – a brand new, completely made up Holiday, that is! With the audience’s help, Silverbacks will create their very own annual celebration – think “Festivus for the Rest of Us” from Seinfeld.
